Hey folks. It's been a busy holiday season, what with the end of the semester and then a lengthy education/vacation/what-have-you to Israel (fun fact: my local rink, The Gardens Ice House at Laurel, has more registered players (1300+) and ice sheets (3) than the entire nation of Israel (500 players, 1 sheet)).
In a day or two a real article will be posted, but to get 2010 started off right we've got another entry into the hockey lexicon.
This one comes courtesy of Pascal Leclaire and the rest of the Ottawa Senators via Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun and I actually read it first in The Peerless Prognosticator's preview for tonight's Capitals-Ottawa game.
The word is Princess Day, and it's something the Caps are actually fairly familiar with. When Alexander Semin or Mike Green take a day off from practice because of bumps and bruises and call it a 'maintenance day,' well the Sens call that taking a Princess Day.
To be fair players on the Senators, and every other team, take them as well, but their term makes it clear how some players view the practice.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Reason 2,612 the Media loves Bruce Boudreau
It's bad times at the Washington Times right now. Yesterday the paper announced it plans to cut about 40% of its staff, and the Sports section could very well disappear.
Corey Masisak is the Times' beat reporter for the Caps, and one of the longer-serving and better reporters to cover the team on a daily basis (and a Maryland grad, to boot). His Twitter feed (@cmasisak22) is a must-have for in-game commentary and other Caps-related information.
If things play out as expected at the Times, Corey may very well be out of a job in the next few days/weeks. Tonight, however, he was at the game, the first Caps home game since news of the impending cuts was broken.
After his press conference, as everyone was filing out, Bruce Boudreau called out to Corey to ask him to step outside for a moment. I can't say what the conversation was about, as it was meant to be private and the other reporters kept it that way, but as the door closed I did hear Bruce say "I just heard..." with a very concerned voice.
I don't know what the relationships between coaches and reporters are at other NHL teams, or really at other local professional sports franchises, but I find it amazing and heartening to know that Boudreau is plugged into local news, knows what's going on and how it's going to affect the reporters he deals with on a daily basis, and cares about it.
If Corey does get laid off, he won't be out of work for long; some intelligent news organization, be it in this area or elsewhere, will pick him up. Nonetheless, the fact that Boudreau took the time to speak with Corey personally and show his support (again, I presume) speaks volumes about his character and the positive relationship between the Caps organization and the media, of all types.
Corey Masisak is the Times' beat reporter for the Caps, and one of the longer-serving and better reporters to cover the team on a daily basis (and a Maryland grad, to boot). His Twitter feed (@cmasisak22) is a must-have for in-game commentary and other Caps-related information.
If things play out as expected at the Times, Corey may very well be out of a job in the next few days/weeks. Tonight, however, he was at the game, the first Caps home game since news of the impending cuts was broken.
After his press conference, as everyone was filing out, Bruce Boudreau called out to Corey to ask him to step outside for a moment. I can't say what the conversation was about, as it was meant to be private and the other reporters kept it that way, but as the door closed I did hear Bruce say "I just heard..." with a very concerned voice.
I don't know what the relationships between coaches and reporters are at other NHL teams, or really at other local professional sports franchises, but I find it amazing and heartening to know that Boudreau is plugged into local news, knows what's going on and how it's going to affect the reporters he deals with on a daily basis, and cares about it.
If Corey does get laid off, he won't be out of work for long; some intelligent news organization, be it in this area or elsewhere, will pick him up. Nonetheless, the fact that Boudreau took the time to speak with Corey personally and show his support (again, I presume) speaks volumes about his character and the positive relationship between the Caps organization and the media, of all types.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Fun facts for Capitals-Sabres on Nov. 25th
Flipping through the games notes for tonight's Capitals v. Sabres matchup, a couple stats stuck out to me.
First, Washington is 7-0-3 when Alexander Ovechkin scores. That they have 17 of 20 possible points when he scores is notable in and of itself, but so too is the fact that he has 16 goals in 10 games...that's more multi-goal games (6) than one-goal games (4).
Second, you may have known that the Caps have held the lead in all 24 games so far this season, but more specifically they've had the lead in the second period or later every game. Makes those 11 games they lost in regulation or overtime stand out a lot more. Even moreso is the fact that the Caps are 4-0-2 when allowing the first goal, which means they're only 9-5-4 when scoring first. Speaks a lot to Washington's resiliency when behind, but also the way they tend to let up when they have the lead.
Third, Buffalo and Washington are two of three NHL teams who have yet to score a short-handed goal this season, the other being Edmonton.
Being in first place in the Southeast and tied for first in points in the Eastern Conference is fantastic, don't get me wrong, but that's a ton of lost opportunities for points.
First, Washington is 7-0-3 when Alexander Ovechkin scores. That they have 17 of 20 possible points when he scores is notable in and of itself, but so too is the fact that he has 16 goals in 10 games...that's more multi-goal games (6) than one-goal games (4).
Second, you may have known that the Caps have held the lead in all 24 games so far this season, but more specifically they've had the lead in the second period or later every game. Makes those 11 games they lost in regulation or overtime stand out a lot more. Even moreso is the fact that the Caps are 4-0-2 when allowing the first goal, which means they're only 9-5-4 when scoring first. Speaks a lot to Washington's resiliency when behind, but also the way they tend to let up when they have the lead.
Third, Buffalo and Washington are two of three NHL teams who have yet to score a short-handed goal this season, the other being Edmonton.
Being in first place in the Southeast and tied for first in points in the Eastern Conference is fantastic, don't get me wrong, but that's a ton of lost opportunities for points.
Gabby: Confessions of a Hockey Lifer
One of the pleasant results of the recent economic downturn has been a greater appreciation of free public amenities in the community. When Bruce Boudreau and Tim Leone's long-awaited Gabby: Confessions of a Hockey Lifer was finally released a few weeks ago, rather than immediately purchase it I put in a request with my local library for their copy.
Last week it was finally my turn, and I excitedly picked up my copy and devoured it in the better part of two days. I thoroughly enjoyed it...Bruce Boudreau has more than a few book's worth of stories to tell and Tim Leone did a great job organizing a compelling story while preserving Boudreau's voice.
Personally I found Gabby amusing, engaging, and a great insight into a man whom, granted, I have slightly more insight than your average fan.
(As an unrelated aside, I have Sportscenter on in the background as I type this and ESPN just showed a clip of Bill Belichick's press conference today. After spending two years covering Boudreau, and to a lesser extend ex-DCU bench boss Tom Soehn, I cannot imagine having to repeatedly sit in press conferences with such an absolute moribund personality as Belichick.)
However, I do have a complaint about the book that, depending on the audience, could be minor or major. Originally my intention was to let my girlfriend read Gabby after I finished with it.
She is a huge Caps fan, but knows practically nothing about the NHL outside of Washington, D.C. She knows most of the Caps, if there's a player on the ice she doesn't recognize she knows they're probably a Hershey call-up, and can match most NHL team names with the appropriate city. She doesn't follow the team outside of watching games on TV and possibly reading front-page articles at washingtonpost.com.
For readers plugged in to the hockey world, not just the present but the past as well, Gabby is a rewarding journey through the life of a true hockey personality. For casual hockey fans or readers new to hockey, Gabby amounts to short snippets of Boudreau's humor and philosophy amidst large swathes of meaningless name-dropping.
All the minor-league cities, all the players and coaches of the 70s, 80s, and early 90s...for me they conjure up a lively world of hockey glory. For my girlfriend...absolutely nothing. The same, I'm sure, for my dad, for whom I was considering buying Gabby as a gift.
This isn't to say it's a bad book. I figure I'm the target audience, and I really enjoyed it. And Gabby could very well be a great holiday gift for the hockey fan in your life. All I'm suggesting is to consider what type of fan the intended recipient may be, to make sure they're the type of person for whom Boudreau's great memories truly resonate.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Don't you...forget about me
My apologies for the lack of content lately. As some of you may know, covering the Capitals is something I do in my spare time when I'm not pursing my doctoral studies in Art History at the University of Maryland.
The past few weeks I've been hard at work, but instead of focusing on this Alexander the Great and this Czech athlete...
...I've been reading up on this Alexander the Great...
...and these Czech athletes...
I've hit a lull right now so more Caps content is coming, specifically quarter-season
grades in the next couple days.
Ovechkin/Fleischmann image courtesy of espn.com.
The past few weeks I've been hard at work, but instead of focusing on this Alexander the Great and this Czech athlete...
...I've been reading up on this Alexander the Great...
...and these Czech athletes...
I've hit a lull right now so more Caps content is coming, specifically quarter-season
grades in the next couple days.
Ovechkin/Fleischmann image courtesy of espn.com.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Observations from Caps-Islanders
[I'll update this post once the related video clip is online.]
A lot is made of Alexander Semin and his skill set. Gorgeous wrist shot, powerful slap shot, fantastic skater...when he tries.
Many of the same critiques are levied at Mike Green. Great shot, great vision, but the effort isn't always there.
One major difference between the two (other than position) that I've noticed lately, particularly in tonight's game against the Islanders, is how strong each player's fundamentals are. With apologies to Don Cherry, Green is by far the more unorthodox player while , despite all his dangling and fancy footwork, Semin is really fundamentally sound.
What prompted this was the observation that Semin always stands out on the ice, even away from the puck. He takes up more physical space than his lithe 6'2" frame would suggest, and the reason is simple: he always had two hands on his stick.
Semin succeeds in the most basic of fundamentals that youth hockey coaches spend untold hours impressing on their players- always keep both hands on your stick. That way you're always a split second away from catching a pass or taking a shot (especially after the follow-up lesson, 'always keep your stick on the ice).
On the other hand, Green's skating fundamentals are a little off. I won't critique him for the poor passes he made tonight, since Semin made some equally-poor decision, but sometimes it's surprising he stays upright while skating. On the play leading to Semin's second goal, Green carried the puck down the right wing and behind the net.
Notable about Green's skating was that he glided about 80 feet along the boards on just his outside foot. Sure, it looks pretty, but all it takes is a simple tap to knock you over in that situation. Green gave himself no opportunity to cut inside or otherwise make a move- he was stuck in that glide.
Food for thought, since Green gets positive attention for his smooth skating while Semin gets no credit for anything, basically, other than his shot.
A lot is made of Alexander Semin and his skill set. Gorgeous wrist shot, powerful slap shot, fantastic skater...when he tries.
Many of the same critiques are levied at Mike Green. Great shot, great vision, but the effort isn't always there.
One major difference between the two (other than position) that I've noticed lately, particularly in tonight's game against the Islanders, is how strong each player's fundamentals are. With apologies to Don Cherry, Green is by far the more unorthodox player while , despite all his dangling and fancy footwork, Semin is really fundamentally sound.
What prompted this was the observation that Semin always stands out on the ice, even away from the puck. He takes up more physical space than his lithe 6'2" frame would suggest, and the reason is simple: he always had two hands on his stick.
Semin succeeds in the most basic of fundamentals that youth hockey coaches spend untold hours impressing on their players- always keep both hands on your stick. That way you're always a split second away from catching a pass or taking a shot (especially after the follow-up lesson, 'always keep your stick on the ice).
On the other hand, Green's skating fundamentals are a little off. I won't critique him for the poor passes he made tonight, since Semin made some equally-poor decision, but sometimes it's surprising he stays upright while skating. On the play leading to Semin's second goal, Green carried the puck down the right wing and behind the net.
Notable about Green's skating was that he glided about 80 feet along the boards on just his outside foot. Sure, it looks pretty, but all it takes is a simple tap to knock you over in that situation. Green gave himself no opportunity to cut inside or otherwise make a move- he was stuck in that glide.
Food for thought, since Green gets positive attention for his smooth skating while Semin gets no credit for anything, basically, other than his shot.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
New-look Capitals power play
Watching the Capitals-Devils game and writing this as the Capitals are on their first power play of the game. With Alexander Ovechkin out the PP defense pairings are going to be Mike Green with Tom Poti and Brian Pothier (I have no idea who the second PP point is...were I a betting man, I'd say there isn't a second). Interesting that instead of setting up at his usual right defense spot, Green is lining up at the left point...Bruce Boudreau has not changed his power play scheme at all to reflect the change in personnel, but has simply inserted Green into Ovechkin's role as primary triggerman. Green will certainly make as much of his chances as Ovechkin did but it will be interesting to see whether Poti picks up Green's shooting tendency or looks down the right boards for Alexander Semin more.
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